JANUARY 14, 2016 — Restlessness was in the air this morning outside the residence of a Bayview pastor as a handful of supporters gathered to stop the impending eviction. The sheriffs have come for Pastor Dorn’s house.
“I can’t believe this is the 21st century, if this is not a government lynch then what is it?” Hanson Lee, in his 40s, is a resident of Glen Park “Pastor Dorn is no criminal, the real criminals are in the Wall Street. Hey! in 30 years your house will be taken too” Lee says as he points to the deputies who have arrived to forcibly remove the family and turn the house over to a real-estate investor.
In the background one can hear, singer and community leader Francisco Herrera singing out his protest: “We must turn this heart of stone, into a heart of gold…”
John Eller, a staff member with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, is busy trying to get in touch with landlord Quan He’s attorney, Andres Sanchez, but it’s pointless because Sanchez’s phone goes directly to voicemail.
Even though there is little hope that Sanchez will return any calls, he is Pastor Dorn’s last bet. A possible deal, discussed yesterday, can only be on the table if He’s attorney speaks to ACCE or Dorn’s family.
The locksmith stands at a distance from the crowd waiting for instructions. Everyone else is tapping away on their phones trying to get any attention that could help prevent the eviction.
“I’ll call the news channels” says Jackie as she walks around the corner. She is one of the ten volunteers present at the scene. Two deputy sheriffs walk down the narrow stairway at the Dorn’s entrance, one carrying eight-month-old Harold, Dorn’s grandson, and the other holding the baby basket. The crowd moves in to support the young mother and son.
Teresa, Pastor Dorn’s wife, drives her car to the front entrance of their home so that little Harold can sit there, sobbing uncontrollably as she parks. Pastor Dorn escorts her out but she rushes in, howling, crying, there’s not a dry eye in the crowd. The Dorn’s will lose their home today, and everyone is here to be their witness.
“This channel I called asked me if there were any guns on the scene or anyone threatening to shoot? Is that what it takes to cover an eviction story? Black people dying?” Jackie announces to the crown. Seven members of the crowd move into the open garage to start a sit in, as a deputy tells the crowd “You have the right to leave.” There are hushed discussions among the crowd on who is going to volunteer to be arrested. The decision is swift – four, including Pastor Dorn and ACCE staff member Grace Martinez, are not going to move.
Sharon York, a Caucasian woman in her 70s, sits on the sidewalk just outside the garage. She won’t be arrested today, but she will protest anyway. “I am probably the oldest person here,” she tells me. “This makes me cry. There’s nothing I can do but cry. This is wrong, it is so wrong.”
She asks: “Where is Quan He, he should be here to see this, he should be here since this is what he wanted so where is he now.” Martinez chants as the crowd breaks into an impromptu “hey hi ha ho, Quan He must go”
Tragedy is swift. As the garage door closes, protesters begin moving to stand up in front of the house. Dorn’s family is sitting in car but the pastor is still inside. Two deputies guard the entrance as the van pulls over. Their fate is sealed, and one by one, all four of them, with their hands cuffed behind their backs, walk down the stairway as the crowd breaks into a soft applause, with some chanting “thank you.”
Mobile phones are out. A deputy records the crowd and the crowd records back (smile everyone, the sheriff is filming you.”) A smile and a nod, someone mutters “we are just doing our jobs, we don’t like being here too.” He swiftly moves towards me and asks not to be named “I am on duty now and I can’t give my personal opinion, but this is awful, it’s awful, and it is wrong; the city officials should fix this.” The locksmith is escorted upstairs and he quickly gets to work.
Chief Deputy Albert Waters is here too, as the arrested are swiftly put into the van. Phones continue filming as the sheriff’s van drives off. Eller swiftly moves in to speak to the crowd.
“Yesterday, Quan He kept saying he will only discuss options if he gets possession, now he has got what he wanted now he must agree to the deal. We need 180 days to go after the bank and to bring in an investor who can buy the house back. We legally have two weeks to get Quan He to agree. After, two weeks Pastor Dorn loses his possessions so we have to move fast.”
There’s anger and resentment. Janice Powell, President of the local Tenant’s Association is furious “Where is Malia Cohen? She is the supervisor for the district and she assured Pastor Dorn that she will support him. She gave him her support, where is she now?
“When she wanted to get elected, she told us she lost her home too. These people they are all the same, the disappear after they are elected.” Lynn Westry, a family friend of the Dorn’s weighs in: “This is by design, black people are being evicted from their homes and entire neighborhoods.”
The crowd thins out but a few still wait for the possibility of Quan He arriving. His phone is on voice mail, the same as his lawyer’s.
As everyone starts to leave, Carolyn Gage brings back some hope. She is in her 50s but is feisty and has no plans to give in.
“I was displaced from my home for nine months and I got it back,” she says. “You remember John? ACCE helped me get my house back. Nine months without my home but god is kind, I am back in my home now.” Despite the fact that her home wiped out her savings and retirement fund, Gage is content she was able to save the home her father built and their family lived in for 50 years.
As everyone leaves for the day, they go back with prepared for a fight for the long haul. “We are not giving up, if no deal is struck we will take the home back, we won’t lose” Eller says as volunteers move in to embrace each other and prepare for another day.
Note: Three of the protesters who were arrested have since been released. But Pastor Dorn remains in custody because he has an additional charge of violating a court order and will have to appear before a judge. ACCE is working on pressuring the DA’s office to get a night judge to release Pastor Dorn.
